This is both my personal learning project and my contribution in the struggle to confront the ongoing Republican/ libertarian assault on rational science and constructive learning, as manifested in their malicious strategic Attacks on Science ~ A collection of articles, scientific resources, plus my own essays and indepth critique of various presentations from unidirectional-skeptics ~ Hopefully a resource for the busy, yet discerning, student who's concerned about the health of our Earth

Monday, July 24, 2017

Around July 11th a trillion tonne chunk of Larson C ice shelf broke off and become the roughly 2,200 sq mile Iceberg A-68. The news was reported by scientists observing the growing crack through the Project Midas website.

Martin O’Leary a Research Officer at Swansea University and expert in ice flow modeling was quoted and has been re-quoted ad nauseum saying:

“Although this is a natural event and we’re not aware of any link to human-induced climate change, this puts the ice shelf in a very vulnerable position.”

I understand there’s valid reasons for scientists being ultra-conservative in making connections, but that "no link" suggestion is simply weird, pollyannaish even. Reads like it was penned by a Trump team member rather than a dedicated researcher. Or, perhaps it was penned by someone deeply frightened by the Trump Administration and funding concerns.

It’s true, I’m only a high school grad, class of ’73, but I’ve been actively keeping up on climate science developments and global observations ever since. Does that give me the right to lecture experienced professionals on communicating science?

Well if they continue spinning reality into an intellectual parlor game that ignores the existential crisis we have collectively created for ourselves, … if their message sidesteps common sense geophysical interconnections. You bet !

So long as I can support my indictment with rational arguments and valid evidence.

This post will be about the mountain of evidence pointing to this recent calving event being part and parcel of an interconnected global climate engine that is being warmed by society’s fossil fuel burning emissions! It will also spotlight other examples of gratuitous misleading words injected into reports purely for their soothing value and political cover.

Not having every single detail of every dynamic interconnection mapped out in it’s entirety is no justification for ignoring obvious dynamics and cascading consequences.

I want to share something I posted over at the neglected Hotwhopper Chat room. No it's not Sou who's done any neglecting. Here's to looking at the person in the mirror.

What happened?

It's really sad that nothing has happened here. I keep looking in and nothing. Out of all those hundreds, thousands of participants in the "Denial101x - Making Sense of Climate Science Denial" MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) https://www.skepticalscience.com/denial101x-videos-and-references.html. Weren't these students and concerned citizens interested in communicating the truth and essence of climate science fundamentals to their fellow citizens?

Seems to me chat.hotwhopper.comwas a perfect platform for students and other novices to science communication to come together to support and feed and strengthen each other. People who felt an urge to add their own energy to the struggle of educating a people who don't want to learn.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Just dropping by to say hello. At first I stopped posting because I needed to STOP.

Too many train wrecks one on top of the other.

Important matters with dark irreversible consequences, all very tragic and having a deep emotional impact on me.

Trump election; the astounding failure of vision and determination Democrats displayed in never getting Merrick Garland his Supreme Court hearing and vote;Bates’ malicious attack piece; the Fyfe 2016 fiasco paper that amounted to a stamp collection that produced a report that read like a Rorschach test; followed by a bit of related drama I still hope to write about, for the lessons it offers.

Rather than dance with a breakdown,

it was time to put down the notepad and step away from the keypad,

refocus on the work I do for pay,

then after-hours,

I shutdown my thoughts regarding things I’m absolutely impotent to do anything about. As much as possible.

It was also time to focus full attention on this young dog who’s decided she owns me (my 1st) and our many (newly undistracted) walks over this forty acres I get to call my home. Yeah, the universe has a strange sense of humor, but so it goes.

It was a good break for about a month, but with psyche mended or at least new acceptance of the profound failures we children of the intellectual enlightenment are guilty of, my thoughts won’t shut down completely. I can't be blind to the world and if I can't be anything beyond a lone witness, so be it. I heard a profound thought recently: "Hope is a survival strategy in hopeless times." On we go. (slightly edited 7/3/17 evening)

RECOMMENDED WEBSITES

11/29/2016 I started this blog to debate climate science contrarians, I've done my part, they, the intellectual cowards for their part have run off and hide within their hermetically sealed echo chambers, safe to continue broadcasting more stupidity mixed with anger and hostility rather than constructive learning.

Now this horrendous election. Its changed everything and this blog, not sure where it's going, eventually I need to start another one, one less intent on futility reaching out for what ain't there and more focused on presenting a different perspective for its own sake, and to hell with the rest of it, it's too heart breaking.

I see Dec 19th as a key date. If there isn't serious focused engagement of the public in numbers that surprise everyone, well the oligarch will have their way with us.

Americans need to let Trump know from the gitgo, we do not approve of his con job and he better not get too crazy because he's earned zero good faith or honeymoon considerations. We shall see.

{edited 12/11/2014}

I know there are too many typos, what can I say, eyes aren't what they were, I get rushed, and always did have a thing with transposing…{well, I also hated high school "english" classes... bad call that one.}. Doing the best I can with what I got. Embarrassing though it is, it's better than doing nothing. Besides, it's the issues and reasoning that we should be worrying about.

Though I'm in my own little world here, I'm also constantly learning and evolving and do get occasional feedback and when I reread stuff and find errors or omissions or garbage, I fix it. If it's major I'll acknowledge it with an 'edited' note, minor stuff I don't bother.

~ ~ ~

I hardly keep track of Anthony's latest antics (besides, with Sou on the job why bother - can't beat her insights). It's just me over here and I have more important things to do with my precious hours - still now that Anthony's luster has been wearing thin he's put his energy into discovering and honing new fresh faces to carry on the public show of the Republican/Libertarian strategic attack on science.

He seems to have transitioned into a ring-leader, perhaps mentor/coach would be better, producer? At least that's how Mr. Steele and his antics of the past year has gotten me to think about it. So in that regard this blog remains about WUWT's brand of thinking and logic and my struggle to understand the anatomy of the fraud they've perpetrated against mankind. {December 2014}

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ok, now some recommended websites:

This blog was started in April 2013 and is written by an actual scientist so it has a refreshingly serious objective air to it, plus he does a good clear job of explaining complex issues.

Tamino, an acknowledged statistical/mathematical expert of the highest order, at Open Mind also does an excellent job of holding Anthony’s feet to the fire with clearly explained facts and math. Check it out:http://tamino.wordpress.com~ ~ ~

And of course, there is the excellent, most up to date internet depository of climate studies and information for the non-expert public.

Then there's RealClimate.org the scientist's commentary site. Run by working climate scientists intended to help the interested public and journalists sort through the complexities of the climatology. They provide "quick response to developing stories and provide the context" that is too often missing from public media's depiction. {But, you better be serious and have some real science education/understanding under your belt if you want to keep up.}

I remember back in da day, good websites/blogs were few and far between. But over the past years that's been changing to the point that it's impossible to keep up with them all. Here's an incomplete, and long overdue addition to my above list: